The Charles City Mobile Food Pantry is gearing up for a larger-than-usual turnout for their next first-Wednesday-of-the-month distribution of food at the Floyd County Fairgrounds.
Organizer Jen Burton says the drive-thru distribution, from 5 to 6 pm Wednesday (11.05) at the Youth Enrichment Center, normally serves about 350 households. However, in the wake of the interruption of November SNAP benefits to some 270,000 Iowans by the federal government shutdown, they’re preparing for more traffic than usual.
Despite the challenges, Burton says the mobile food pantries will continue.
Still, there’s a shortfall of food that needs to be met. Burton encourages donations to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank (NEIFB).
Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds pledged matching state funding to be spread across Iowa’s six Feeding America food banks (including NEIFB), with every dollar donated by the public, matched by the state up to $1 million.
Other area mobile food pantries include Cresco, which is switching from the first Tuesday of the month to the second Thursday of the month and the Osage mobile food pantry, which is changing from the fourth Tuesday of the month to the third Tuesday of the month.
A calendar with the schedule of food pantries through the Northeast Iowa Food Bank for the month of November is included below.
